Summer should be a time for sunshine, fresh air, creativity, and connection, not just endless scrolling. While screens can provide entertainment and social connection, too much time on them can leave tweens and teens feeling sluggish, disconnected, and irritable. Setting some healthy boundaries around screen time this summer doesn’t mean taking away all their fun. It just means making room for more of the good stuff: adventure, creativity, movement, and real-life laughs.
Whether you’re a parent hoping to spark new habits or a teen looking for something different to do, here are 25 low- or no-cost, screen-free ideas to keep the summer energy high and boredom low without having to go far from home.
25 Screen-Free Summer Activities for Tweens and Teens
- Build a backyard obstacle course using household items. Have a competition to see who can do it the fastest!
- Start a summer journal or scrapbook and write/draw something each day. At the end of the summer, review it to see what you did and remember the good times!
- Make and deliver homemade cards to neighbors or relatives. Loneliness is an epidemic; what if you can make someone’s day?
- Try out a new recipe using ingredients you already have. You can search the internet for “what to make with these items” and then cook away!
- Set up a lemonade stand or mini snack shop.
- Do a driveway chalk mural or positive-message sidewalk art.
- Plan a theme night (Hawaiian night! 90s night! Pasta night!) for the family.
- Create a treasure hunt or scavenger hunt for siblings or neighbors.
- Camp out in the backyard yes, even if it’s just a blanket and snacks.
- Volunteer to walk dogs or help a neighbor with yard work.
- Have a water balloon fight or run through the sprinklers on a hot afternoon.
- Start a garden even if it’s just one pot of herbs or a tomato plant. Watching something grow is amazing!
- Learn to juggle, do card tricks, or magic tricks. Be more fun at parties!
- Paint rocks and leave them around the neighborhood for others to find. I found one recently and was so excited!
- Teach yourself a new skill on YouTube (crochet, anyone?) then unplug and try it out.
- Host a talent show or open mic night in your backyard.
- Go on a “photo safari” walk and make a collage of the nature pics you take.
- Create a fitness challenge with family or friends, like walking every night or training for a local 5K
- Incorporate 10 minutes of daily outdoor meditation and you’ll have a great habit for when school starts again. This is good for parents and kids alike!
- Make a time capsule to open next summer.
- Redecorate or rearrange your room for a fresh vibe.
- Make popsicles or homemade slushies and rate your flavors.
- Hold a summer book swap with friends.
- Keep a gratitude list by writing 3 things you appreciated during the day before you go to bed at night.
- Take a “no screens for 24 hours” challenge and celebrate with a treat.
Whether it’s creativity, movement, connection, or just plain silliness, giving your tween or teen alternatives to screens this summer helps build their independence, curiosity, and confidence. Post this list on the fridge and invite your kids to pick a few each week…or better yet, they can make their own summer fun list!
Looking for more personalized strategies to reduce screen time and build confidence in your tween or teen? I can help and inquiries are always my pleasure.